A recent City Journal report claims that money stolen in several large Minnesota welfare fraud schemes may have indirectly reached the Somalia-based terror group Al-Shabaab. Citing unnamed federal counterterrorism sources, the article argues that fraudulently obtained U.S. funds, particularly from Minnesota’s Somali community, are sometimes sent overseas through informal “hawala” money-transfer networks, where Al-Shabaab allegedly takes a cut. The report links this claim to major fraud scandals such as the “Feeding Our Future” case, which has resulted in more than 50 convictions tied to an alleged $300 million pandemic-era scam, along with newer fraud cases involving Medicaid Housing Stabilization Services and autism services. Some former investigators and political figures quoted in the article say the issue has been under-addressed due to political sensitivities around Minnesota’s large Somali population.
Federal prosecutors, however, have not charged anyone in these cases with terrorism-related offenses, focusing instead on large-scale financial theft. Still, former law enforcement officials say that even unintentional remittances can benefit Al-Shabaab because the group taxes economic activity inside Somalia. Critics argue that this creates a risk that stolen U.S. welfare funds could indirectly support terrorism. Others note that the claims rely heavily on anecdotal sources rather than confirmed evidence, showing the need for careful investigation rather than broad assumptions about Minnesota’s Somali community.
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